Alternate Reverse
by Dutchess Hyde
Summary: Because she would make a fine puppet and the sun rises in reverse for them. (Hints of SasoSaku) (Living!Sasori) -Dedicated to Sydney because she is whiny and very hard to satisfy.-


**A/N: Haha wow, I never thought I would write a one-shot for Naruto, or even get around to it. Anyway, I'm at least content with this story, if not pleased, and I wonder you are too. So please send me your feedback, in the form of a review or favorite. (Shameless begging.)**

"_You're quite impressive." _

Sakura turned her head slightly, hearing soft footsteps down the hall even though the shinobi was deliberately concealing the sounds of his sandaled feet.

Snapping out of her revere, Sakura parried a kunai, staring through her ANBU mask at the perpetrator. The mission should have been easy, a simple get in and get out. She was assigned to resolve the suspicious behavior being reported in southern Suna, the mission seemed like an A-mission enough in text but after encountering many rouge Suna ninjas Sakura had became increasingly aware it was an S-Mission.

She had discovered that yes, this was probably a small unorganized criminal organization, posing as the new Akatsuki. Sakura would almost scoff at the notion.

Sakura cursed and flew back into a handspring, dodging another kunai that was thrown. Unprepared for the next blow, Sakura haphazardly threw up her kunai to absorb the hit and her eyebrows knit in concentration as her kunai broke in two.

Charging chakra to her legs, she jumped back, her green apple eyes examining her enemy before circulating more chakra to her clenched fists. Moving into her familiar taijutsu stance, she leapt at the shinobi, crushing her fist into his skull.

She expected a cry of agony and a splatter of blood, not an explosion of wooden splinters.

Sakura froze as they showered onto her. Her mouth twisted into a grim frown, this was a puppeteer obviously. She should've expected this, puppeteers aren't uncommon in Suna at all. She wrinkled her nose and bent down to observe the pile of shredded wood.

Sakura unintentionally knit her pink brows once again. The chakra signature would be extremely easy to track, as if it was intentional.

She stood and performed the seals for a summoning jutsu and slapped her hands to the ground, forming a spider web of symbols and a huge puff of smoke. Sakura held back a cough as the white cloud of smoke cleared. She smiled as she looked at the small brown dog in the blue bandanna.

"Pakkun," She greeted warmly. "Thanks for coming. Kakashi was right about me needing you. Can you track this chakra signature?" Sakura mentally thanked Kakashi for his thoughtfulness and agreeability.

Pakkun merely nodded and started running down the hall, Sakura followed easily. She had grown a lot stronger since the ninja war, strengthening her seal, practicing taijutsu, and not to mention her medical ninjutsu. She achieved ANBU status two years after the war, making her friends and family proud even Sasuke had given her a miniature smile.

"Sakura," Pakkun snapped. " My job is done. The source of the chakra is through this door." Sakura gave a curt nod as Pakkun disappeared into the smoke. Forcing chakra to her feet, she used one foot to anchor her to the ground and with her other she raised it and threw her foot at the door.

She gave a smirk of satisfaction inside her cat mask as the door creaked and fell over, sending a large gust of wind over the so called throne room.

"Impressive." A voice drawled. "I've only heard of two people that could do that." Sakura froze, feeling a chillingly familiarity in the voice. Regaining her composure she finally looked up, she was a kunoichi, she wasn't going to bow to her emotions so easily. His soft red hair and bored dull brown eyes were the same, and the permanent smirk still rested on his lips, Sakura desperately want to chakra punch it off his pretty little face.

Sakura quietly breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad she wore a genjutsu. It was natural for ANBUs with abnormally colored hair to conceal their real hair color, having pink or red hair is a dead giveaway if you're being hunted or chased. "They sent only one ANBU?" Sasori questioned. "They must have real faith in you. Too bad I'll have to swat you like the fly you are." Sakura felt rage bubble in her stomach like a messy glob of emotion.

How dare he call her a fly? She had killed him and even concocted a cure for his lethal poison. _He himself had called her worthy. _Another feeling blurred into the hate, mixing the blob of feelings into a weird ball that made her want annihilate him even more.

With a flick of his slender finger she hurled a puppet at her. Sakura realized with a sick feeling in her stomach that it was Sayuri, an ANBU sent to investigate Suna a week prior. He had made her into a human puppet, one of his twisted minions.

Too distracted with her thoughts of disgust and pity to pay attention, she felt a force ram into her back with an intense velocity. Sakura grunted as she land ten feet away on the rough concrete, rolling another five feet consecutively after.

Her vision blurry, she dizzily stood, noticing her broken ANBU mask, at least a meter away from her. "Weak for an ANBU." She heard Sasori mutter to himself. "No use for her." Sakura growled lowly, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. A strange urge had tugged at her, as if she _wanted _to impress Sasori.

"YOU," Sakura said with a carefully controlled tone, careful to hide her emotions. "Are supposed to be dead." She watched Sasori lift a delicate eyebrow, mildly interested.

"Little girl," Sasori spoke and Sakura shivered unintentionally at the old nickname. He couldn't know her identity already, could he? "Though I'm not sure how you found out that confidential information, but I feel like I'm going to enjoy destroying you."

His finger twitched and Sakura had to chakra jump to avoid the rain of senbon that flew from Sayuri's mouth. Sakura twisted uncomfortably in the air to avoid a glinting shuriken thrown by the second puppet that had taken her by surprise earlier. Landing in a crouch, Sakura used chakra to propel herself at Sayuri, her fist pulled back into a punch that landed square in the former human's chest.

Sakura smirked, pleased with herself as the wooden splinters sprinkled down on her. She watched as Sasori's visibly piqued, her self-confidence sparked and she almost gave herself a proud smile. She confusedly suppressed the urge, wondering what had just happened.

Once again distracted, Sasori took advantage of her apparently confused state. Sakura gave a choked cry as she felt the katana impale her from behind, (Again.)Sakura cursed as she pulled the katana out by its hilt. Jumping back, she ripped off her blood-stained black, form-fitting top, revealing her mesh armor. She held the hole in her shoulder gently, letting the healing chakra swarm around it, the green wisps slowly healing the sword wound.

She watched as Sasori's mouth upturn in surprise, then reform into his classic smirk. "Little girl, how you surprise me." She could only gaze as his stare traveled up her body, focusing on her on her bubblegum hair and finally the purple diamond resting in the center of her forehead. "This is priceless. No wonder you shiver in fear when I speak." Was it fear?

Sakura took a deep breath, she must have been circulating too much chakra at once and the genjutsu broke. "We meet again." She murmured. Sasori leant back in his chair. "Would you mind telling me how you are alive before I kill you again?" Sakura hissed with a new determination.

Sasori almost gave a small chuckle. "I never died and apparently your spunk didn't either." Sakura almost repressed a . . . smile? "And you've grown even stronger." Sakura's jade eyes widened and she almost cursed herself for letting Sasori know he had hit a nerve. She quickly molded her face back into a model ANBU soldier's.

"What?" Sasori asked. "You've never been told you were strong?" Sakura gulped and Sasori's devious smile widened by a millimeter, pleased now that he knew how to manipulate her. "Poor little girl," He set his chin on his fist.

Sakura shook her head, cursing the modest blush on her face. "Quit changing the subject, I want to know how you died."

"I never died," Sasori chastised. "I was merely controlling a puppet of myself from farther away." Sakura could only stare as rage blinded her vision, she lunged furiously out at Sasori, using chakra to enhance her speed. Her vision blurred and she panted as she reached his throne, falling to her knees, she brought a hand up to her shoulder. Sasori glanced at her as she desperately tried to smother out the blood flow with her healing hands.

Sasori stood, his cloak swishing behind him as he glided over to the newly helpless Sakura.

"You will make a fine puppet, the centerpiece of my collection."

In one moment she is in his arms and the next all she sees is black.

Because sun rises in reverse for them.


End file.
